Part 17 (2/2)
It was one day following boat drill, when the small craft had come racing back in response to the recall signal, that Frank and Ned, whose boat had won an impromptu race, observed signs of unusual activity aboard.
”What's up?” Frank asked a petty officer.
”Just got wireless orders,” was the answer. ”We're ordered South!”
”Ordered South?” echoed Ned. ”Where?”
”Down to a small South American republic. Uridio it's called. I never heard of it, but there's some sort of a revolution there, and we're ordered down to protect American interests. I didn't know Uridio was on the map.”
”Well, we did,” said Frank in a low voice to his brother. ”Oh, Ned!
That's where Uncle Phil's property is. Maybe now we'll get a chance to help him!”
CHAPTER XVI-HEAVY SEAS
Such eager hope shone on the faces of Frank and Ned Arden on hearing the news that the battles.h.i.+p was ordered to South America, that the sailor who had given them the information remarked:
”Say, you fellows must be glad of it!”
”We are!” declared Frank. ”Why, aren't you?”
”I should say not!” was the emphatic reply.
”You don't mind because we may be mixed up in some fighting, do you?”
asked Ned, in some surprise.
”Of course not! It's the climate I object to. It'll be hot down there-as hot as blazes, and if we have to go into action, and use the big guns, why being inside of the turrets will be worse than being in a teakettle.”
”Oh, I guess we can stand it,” returned Frank.
”Huh! Wait until you try it once,” went on the blue-jacket. ”I was down in the tropics once when we had some evolutions, and say! I haven't got rid of all the blisters yet. That's what makes me wonder when I see you fellows showing all sorts of signs of joy!”
”Well, some of our money is invested down in that little republic, and we want a chance to see what it looks like,” Frank explained.
”Come off! What sort of talk are you giving me?” demanded the sailor.
”Money invested, and you working for Uncle Sam? Tell me something easier to believe,” and he laughed in a good-natured way.
Frank and Ned exchanged meaning looks, and tacitly agreed that perhaps it would be better not to go into any explanation of the matter. It would be hard to convince the ordinary blue-jacket that the two battles.h.i.+p boys once possessed a considerable fortune that was now tied up because of political troubles in Uridio. It sounded more like a tale from a book, than the real thing, as Frank admitted to his brother later.
”So we'd just better keep still about it, I think,” he said. ”Of course if we get a chance to do a good turn for Uncle Phil, and, incidentally ourselves, we will. We can speak to the captain or some of the officers about it, and we have papers that prove what we say is true. Only there is no use in going into all this to any of the sailors.”
”I guess you're right,” admitted Ned. The two lads did have certain doc.u.ments that would establish the truth of what they had said, namely, that their fortune, as well as that of their uncle, was tied up in investments in the ”banana republic,” as the small countries of Central and South America are often called.
Matters regarding Mr. Arden's affairs had not changed of late, according to the last advices received by the boys. They had not, as they had hoped, been able to visit him at Atlanta.
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